Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine 11 Bankova St. 01220 Kyiv, Ukraine Via e-mail:[email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected] СС: Embassy of Ukraine, Country, City

RE: BWI affiliates call on the Government of Ukraine to withdraw labour reform

Dear President Volodymyr Zelensky,

I am writing this letter to you as the______(position in the union, name of the union), which represents ______workers in ______(sectors and the name of the country), to express our concern about and opposition to the proposed labour reforms and to call on your Government to immediately withdraw draft laws #2708, #2681 and #2682 from the Ukrainian Parliament.

The proposed laws go against international and universal human rights and labour standards. If adopted, they will increase, not combat poverty and inequality, lower rather than raise respect for human rights and weaken, not strengthen democracy and governance. They will jeopardise any possibility for decent lives and decent work.

The disrespect for the trade union rights embodied in ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and the rights to organise and collective bargaining not only damage workers and their possibility to fight for all other rights, but, undermine democracy. They also conflict with chapter 21 of the European Association Agreement with Ukraine and with the labour obligations in Article 13 of the Canada-Ukraine Free trade agreement.

Any such fundamental and substantive reforms should be properly and fully be discussed with worker and employer organisations before being introduced. They should never be developed in secret. Open and transparent processes are essential to democracy

The draft laws should be revised not only to make them compatible with the needs and mandates of social partners, but also to be in full conformity with international labour standards. Under no circumstances, should they limit, undermine, or render them unenforceable.

Therefore, we call on the Government of Ukraine to:  withdraw the proposed legislation;  immediately open dialogue with the social partners.  request the assistance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the preparation of labour laws in line with the international standard

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,